The Controversy Over MP3s

The invention of MP3 was a godsend for every struggling musician out there. A new medium was finally available for them to post their songs to be downloaded by anyone who cared. This was no problem. The problem surfaced, however, when last year, among the list of wannabes and beatniks were names like Madonna and Puff Daddy. Their hard work was now being downloaded for free. Record companies panicked at this new technology, for the purchase of CDs was no longer necessary.

Although anyone with a PC and a burner can make a copy of a CD, the next step has been portable MP3 players, perfect for bootleggers. Michael Robertson, the CEO of MP3.com has become the leader of this new revolution by allowing new artists to post their tracks for free on his site. As of the beginning of March, there were 8,682 artists on the site and an astonishing 36,710 songs, with 100 new artists signing up each day. In every battle there is an opponent, and in this one it is the RIAA.

The RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) was founded in 1952 by over 500 music companies. The objective of the RIAA was originally to survey music buying habits, certify records gold and platinum, and restrict copyright infringement. Nowadays, however, the main purpose of the RIAA seems to be busting illegal bootleggers using the MP3 format. Just last year the RIAA proposed SDMI (Secure Digital Music Initiative) which allows distribution of music on the Internet in a manner that restricts copying. The idea is that by creating a legal market for the public, they will stop trying to get something for nothing against the law. Unfortunately, however, this battle over formats will continue with the advent of more and more technological advances.

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